User blog:Cfp3157/Mudbound Review: Dirty, Grimy, and Gritty in the Perfect Way
An expectedly heavy viewing, Dee Rees' sophomore feature film explodes into serious contention as one of the most well-crafted films of the year. A cast of relatively new or underexposed faces bring this colorful cast of characters to life, ''Mudbound ''fully embraces the dirt and murk of its subject matter. A movie that takes its time to build up to an explosive climax and incendiary conclusion, ''Mudbound ''soars because of how it embraces the story it tells. The Cast Featuring the year's single greatest ensemble, every single performer brings an honest and raw interpretation to these diverse group of human beings. Chewing scenery as easily as his pack of chaw, Jonathan Banks as the patriarch of the McAllen clan is as villainous and descpicable as they come, serving as a phantom prescence throughout the film. Jason Clarke does wonders as Henry, the older of the McAllen brothers, layering the character with a mysterious aura that places morality as ambigous, while Carey Mulligan shines as his conflicted and progressive wife. Rob Morgan delivers one of his best film roles yet, contrasting perfectly with Banks and Clarke to create a stern but loving father. His sermons and dinner table wisdom make him much more intelligent then he physically expresses. Mary J. Blige almost steals the show, her matriarch a welcoming and nurturing prescence in a film filled with conflict, mixed emotions, and subtext. Her mother is as loveable and respectable as they come. Anchoring the film are two performances that will stand the test of time; Jason Mitchell and Garret Hedlund, with companion performances that will instantly catch the viewer's grip. Jason Mitchell is silent and stoic, his face a mask to the inner conflict and turmoil he goes through when he just wants to do right by himself and his family. Meanwhile, Garrett Hedlund is best in show, taking the physicality of the drunken and traumatized Jamie to new heights, allowing himself to fully express the pain of himself onto the screen. Score: 5 out of 5 The Script Told in almost storybook fashion, this family driven epic is vast and powerful in nature. Constructed from the ground up by Virgil Williams and Rees, ''Mudbound ''lets the quieter moments shine, with simple acts and gestures taking on more significant meanings than the surface would allow. Rees and Williams truly take their time telling the story, much to its benefit. If there's a flaw, in the first act there's an abundance of monologue narration that starts to annoy, but the moment it does so it stops so it's difficult to complain about. Detailing the lives of two families, the white McAllens and the black Jacksons, ''Mudbound ''is an epic taking place in Mississippi. When Jamie McAllen and Ronsel Jackson return from World War II, the two families' paths intersect in a way that change both forever. The best aspect of the film's script is its presentation- nobody is presented cleanly, and there's multiple interpretations to each decision they make. Every side of the arguments of family, sexism, and racism are offered from different perspectives, with no characters left in the background. Easily shifting between narratives, the film's juggling act structure manages to succeed in a way it shouldn't be able to. Score: 4.5 out of 5 The Direction Dee Rees assembles auteur craftsmen to bring her vision together. Perfectly in control of her film, Rees delivers some of the best directing of the year. Deliberately slow and pressured, everything feels both contained and explosive. Each moment, each frame, is tightly controlled and given just the right amount of exposure to draw viewers in without exposing itself immediately. That control is initially a flaw in the beginning, but it matters little given the immense payoff. On the technical side, Rachel Morrison shines in her cinematography. Every frame is painted with the bleak, dusty but undeniably mystical portraits of Southern life, while she even throws viewers onto the battlefront with Jamie and Ronsel's careers in the military. The darkness of night is contrasted beautifully with the harsh light of day, making viewers physically uncomfortable and letting them feel the sun's intense heat. Tamar Kali-Brown's score is the most understated factor of the film, silently creeping into the mind without drawing attention to itself. The film's production designers also effortlessly recreate the farms, creating a world truly relived in. Pap's humble shack and Henry's dillapidated shack are phantoms of the greater picture, while each patch of wet mud and caked piece of dirt is brutal to witness. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Final Verdict Despite initially lagging in the first act, the film shines in all other ways. A fantastic cast, gripping story, and flawless presentation all create a storybook epic of a film. Every image, decision, and gesture has hidden layers of meaning, begging to be explored and interprated. Without becoming overbearing to handle or too subtle to understand, ''Mudbound ''is a juggling act that passes every test to create a great experience. Slow to reveal itself but undeniably satisfying to watch, Dee Rees impresses on every single front. Score: 93% For Your Consideration: *Best Picture *Best Director for Dee Rees *Best Lead Actor for Jason Clarke (in a weaker year) *Best Supporting Actor for Garrett Hedlund *Best Supporting Actor for Jonathan Banks (in a weaker year) *Best Supporting Actress for Mary J. Blige *Best Supporting Actress for Carey Mulligan (in a weaker year) *Best Adapted Screenplay *Best Cinematography Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews Category:2017 Reviews